Thursday, October 6, 2011

Pasta with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes (Pasta con Pomodori al Forno)

If you like Pasta e Olio, you are going to love this one! It's great when sweet cherry tomatoes are in season, but also good with the cherry tomatoes now because of the concentration of taste and texture when you roast them. This is very quick to make and it's really "multo buono".

3 pints cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup Italian bread crumbs

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. peperoncino flakes, or to taste

5 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, shredded

1/2 cup grated Pecorino or Parmigiano cheese

4 ounces Ricotta Salata

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Toss the cherry tomato halves in a large bowl with 3 Tbsp. olive oil. Sprinkle over tomatoes the bread crumbs, salt, and peperoncino; toss well to coat the tomatoes evenly.

Pour the tomatoes on a parchment or foil lined baking sheet and spread them apart in a single layer. Bake until the tomatoes are shriveled and lightly browned, about 35 to 40 minutes.

I put them under the broiler for a few minutes.

While the tomatoes are roasting, fill your pasta pot with salted water and bring to a boil. Add pasta of your choice and cook to al dente. In a large skillet, heat the remaining olive oil on medium high heat and scatter in the sliced garlic. Cook for a minute or two until lightly browned. Ladle in 2 cups of the pasta cooking water and bring to a boil. Stir in the chopped parsley and keep sauce simmering.

When the pasta is al dente, lift it from the water and drop it into the skillet. Toss pasta with garlic and parsley sauce, then slide the tomatoes on top of the pasta. Add the basil shreds and toss together.

Sprinkle with grated cheese off heat.

Mound pasta in a warm bowl or plate and shred the ricotta salata on top.